The present invention relates to substituted dimethyl dihydroxy benzene and cyclohexadiene compounds and mixtures thereof as well as the uses thereof for augmenting or enhancing the taste and/or aroma of perfumes, perfumed articles, tobaccos and/or tobacco flavoring compositions. These substituted dimethyl dihydroxy benzene and cyclohexadiene compounds are represented by the generic structures: ##STR3## (and other tautomers) wherein the dashed line represents a carbon-carbon single bond or a carbon-carbon double bond and R.sub.1 is either acetyl having the structure: ##STR4## or nitrile having the structure: EQU --C.tbd.N]
with the proviso that when the dashed line is a carbon-carbon single bond, R.sub.1 is nitrile. In addition, certain of these compounds are novel compounds; wherein R.sub.1 is nitrile and the dashed line is a carbon-carbon single bond or a carbon-carbon double bond.
There has been considerable work performed relating to substances which can be used to impart (modify, augment or enhance) tobacco flavors and fragrances to (or in) various consumable materials including tobaccos, tobacco articles, perfumes, colognes and perfumed articles, such as soaps, cosmetics, cosmetic powders and detergents. These substances are used to diminish the use of natural materials, some of which may be in short supply and to provide more uniform properties in the finished product.
Sweet, "Oak Moss", woody and smoke-like aromas prior to smoking and, in the mainstream and in the sidestream on smoking are desirable in tobaccos and in tobacco flavoring compositions. "Oak Moss"-like or "Mousse de Chene" aromas and notes are highly desirable in several types of perfume compositions, perfumed articles and colognes.
Furthermore, in the art of perfumery, the extracts of lichens such as those marketed under the name of "Oak Moss" have become indispensable and are widely used as materials for perfumes. The natural extracts of "Oak Moss", however, have limited availability and are very expensive. Compounds such as 2,4-dihydroxy-3-methyl-benzaldehyde having the chemical structure: ##STR5## described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,975,309 issued on Aug. 17, 1976 and indicated to be prepared by Jones and Robertson [Journal of the Chemical Society, London, page 1691 (1932)], as well as compounds such as 2,4-dihydroxy-3,6-dimethyl-1-carboalkoxybenzenes and alkyl homologues thereof as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,634,491--Issued on Jan. 11, 1972; 3,701,801--Issued on Oct. 31, 1972; 3,729,430--Issued on Apr. 24, 1973; and Mexican Pat. No. 126,927, issued on Dec. 16, 1971 (corresponding to published Dutch application 7,200,076, filed of Jan. 4, 1972) have been previously found to be useful "Oak Moss" "substitutes". However, complete "Oak Moss" fragrance formulations, to date, have not been achieved in the perfumery industry; nor have such complete "Oak Moss" fragrances been achieved in the tobacco industry for the purposes of flavoring and aromatizing smoking tobacco articles, such as cigarettes and cigars.
Furthermore, nothing in the prior art sets forth the unexpected, advantageous properties of the compounds of the instant invention in their ability to enhance and augment particularly on dry-out "Oak Moss" fragrances, as well as their versatility in being used by themselves for "Oak Moss" fragrances.
Although the compound having the structure: ##STR6## (and other tautomers) (shown as an equilibrium mixture) is known in the prior art (synthesis shown in J. Pharm. Soc., Japan, 59, 547 (1939) by J. Okazaki), nothing in the prior art suggests either implicitly or explicitly the use of such compounds or equilibrium mixture or constituents of said equilibrium mixture in the fields of perfumery and in tobacco aromatization.